The Matthews Board of Commissioners has voted to approve an ordinance implementing a ban on the use of coal tar sealants on parking lots in Matthews, making it the first municipality in North Carolina to do so.

The Town of Matthews has announced the 2017 Employee of the Year is Shelley Kerns. Shelley has been with the Town since 2009, having worked for both the Finance Department and the Matthews Police Department. She is now the Property Control Technician for the Police Department.

During a recent Board of Commissioners meeting, Matthews Fire & EMS Chief Rob Kinniburgh announced three promotions. Captain Chris Mollema, Captain Christopher Rayner, and Lieutenant Ryan Hanes were recognized by Mayor Bailey and the Town Board of Commissioners for their promotions.

The Town of Matthews today announced Clark A. Pennington has been named Chief of the Matthews Police Department. Pennington has over 25 years of law enforcement experience, including nearly 20 years with the Frederick Police Department in Frederick, Maryland of which he served over 10 years as a Commander.

The Town of Matthews is preparing for the holiday season, offering a variety of events for the entire family to enjoy. The Town is partnering with additional community organizations to make the following events possible:

There will be no trash, yard waste or recycling pick up on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday November 23rd. All routes will be picked up on a day delay for Thursday and Friday, with Thursday being picked up on Friday, and Friday routes being picked up on Saturday

The Matthews Visitor Center, located at 210 Matthews Station Street, is now open six days a week. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, and now on Saturdays from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.

During the Matthews Town Board meeting on October 23rd, the proceeds from the 2017 Matthews Alive Festival were presented to representatives from nearly 40 area non-profit organizations. It was another record year for the Festival, with $141,207 being distributed.

The Matthews Board of Commissioners recently recognized Town Arborist and Landscape Manager Ralph Ramsaur for earning the Master Arborist certification – one of only 15 International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Board Certified in North Carolina. Other than the City of Charlotte, Matthews is the only municipality in North Carolina with a Master Arborist on staff.

The Town of Matthews today announced that Barton Contracting will be applying a pavement preservation product to the roads in the Millstone Ridge community beginning Wednesday October 18 through Tuesday October 24. Millstone Ridge residents have been notified, and Barton Contracting will send an additional notification to the residents affected a day before the work begins on their section of the road.

The Town of Matthews will be conducting the 2017 Citizen Survey over the next month. Matthews is seeking input from residents about various aspects of the town including government, parks and facilities, events, and level of satisfaction with town services such as trash collection and streets.

During a meeting of the Matthews Board of Commissioners on Monday evening, the Board voted (6-0) to send a letter to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) requesting that an expanded traffic analysis be completed as it relates to the widening of East John Street.

During a meeting of the Matthews Board of Commissioners on Monday evening, the Board voted (5-1) to approve an ordinance allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages before noon on Sundays. The ordinance went into effect immediately upon passage.

The Matthews Alive Festival is celebrating its 25th year with several special elements for attendees to enjoy. Matthews Alive is an annual four-day family festival over Labor Day weekend in downtown Matthews. This year the festival kicks off on Friday, September 1, and concludes Monday, September 4. This year

The Town of Matthews is seeking applications for participation in the next session of Matthews 101. Matthews 101 is a seven week educational program for Matthews’ residents to learn more about local government, the Town of Matthews, its staff and departments, and services provided by the Town.

The Town of Matthews recently made significant improvements to the parking lot located in the heart of downtown Matthews, alongside the railroad tracks off of N. Trade Street. The changes make it more pedestrian and motorist friendly.

Construction is set to begin June 19 on a North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) project to build a roundabout at the intersection of Idlewild Road and N.C. 51. The project is expected to be completed by September 8.